Improvement in harvesters



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, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL WARNER, OF BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,132, dated March 1, 1859.

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELL WARNER, of Brattleborough, in the county ofWindham and State of Vermont, have invented Va new and Improved Mowing-Machine; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my in vention,taken in the line n: w, Fig. 2; Fig.2, aplan or top view of the same; Fig. 3, a detached plan view ofthe cutting device with the top plate removed, Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of aroller-Sharpener.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to that class of mowi ing-machines in which horizontal rotating cutters are used and the machine placed in front of. the team. v

The invention consists in apeculiar construc- 'S tion and arrangement of the cutting device,

whereby the same is madeto act very eficiently and with but a moderate application of power.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a rectangular frame, which is mounted on wheels B B', and has adraft-pole, C, attached to its back end. This draft-pole is attached to the frame A, near one side, and it is lcurved at its back end at right angles to its main portion, as shown at a, Fig. 2, the `whiffletree D being attached to the portion c, and the pole C being of sufficient length to allow sufficient space for the horse or teaml between the backpart of the frame A and the whiffletree, the horse or team being inline with the center of the frame A.

The inner surface of the rim b of the wheel B is toothed, said rim projecting at the inner side of the wheel and having a pinion, c, gearing into it. The pinion c is attached to the axis d of a bevel-wheel, c, said axis d being fitted in a stanchion, E, on the frame A. The wheel c gears into a bevel-pinion, f, which is placed on the back part of the frame A, and

has a series of pulleys, g, attached to the upper part of its Vaxis h, the pulleys g being above the pinion f.

Each pulley g has a band,`z`, passing around it, and these bands pass around pulleys j,which are fitted loosely on vertical shafts k, which pass through swinging or pivoted yokes l on the upper part of the frame A. The pulleys y are fitted on the shafts k by feathers and grooves, so that the shafts may rise and fall independentlyof the pulleys, but still made to turn or rotate with the pulleys.

To the lower end of each shaft 7c a ball, m, is a attached, and on the upper part of each ball an oval-shaped plate, a, rests, the shafts 7c passing through the centers of said plates. The plates n have pendent sides or ledges o, which are attached to plates 10 at their lower edges, the two plates up forming a box iu which cutters q work.

The cutters q are of circular form, and two are employed in each box, one at each end of a bar, r, which passes through the ball on. The

cutters q are placed on axes which have pinions s on their lower ends, and these pinions gear into a stationary wheel, ax, attached to the upper surface of the plate p. (See Fig.3.) The plates a p are not strictly oval in form, but merely approximate thereto. They are formed partly of perfect circles, the rear part being a portion of a circle, and the front part being a curve of an ellipse. This will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. 3.

The centers of the wheels c* are made concave to receive the lower parts of the balls m, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and the front parts of the plates p are attached by hinge-joints t to the lower ends of rods F, the front endsv of which are fitted loosely in slotted vplates u, and have buttons o on them to retain them in the plates, said plates being attached to the under side of the front cross-bar, w, of the frame A.

To the front part of the upper plates, a, iingers bx are attached. These fingers are of curved'form, having inclined front sides, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. To the under side of the lower plates, p, bars cX are attached, two to each. These bars extend a suitable length back of the plates 1J and rest upon the ground. To the upper surface of each plate p and at their back parts a plate, d* is attached. These plates have their outer ends curved upward, and their ends are beveled and brought to a sharp edge. These plates are directly in the path of the cutters q. The plates are formed of steel strips, and should be tempered quite hard, and serve as Sharpeners, and also serve to clean the cutters. If necessary, a steel rolld, as shown in Fig. 4, the roller serving as a Sharpener, instead of the end of plate d".

The operation is as follows: The horse or team is attached to the curved end a of the draft-pole, and as the machine is propelled or shoved along the shaft 7c will be rotated by means of the gearing ej, belts t', and pulleys j, and the bars 1' will also be rotated, and the cutters q, the latter having also an independent rotary motion given them in consequence of the pinions s gearing into the wheels ax.

In consequence of the less prominent front portions of the plates n p the cutters q will cut the grass, as they pass around, at the front ends ot' said plates, and the cutters are kept in proper cutting or working orderin consequence of passing over the Sharpeners formed of the plates d or c", attached to said plates. 1n consequence of having the plates n fitted on the balls m and the plates p attached by joints t to rods F, which are allowed to turn in their bearings or plates u, the plates u p are allowed to turn in any position more or less inclined to suit the inequalities of the ground, and the bars cX serve to actuate or move the plates, as said barscX rest or bear on the surfaceot' the ground. The plates and cutters are also allowed to rise and fall bodilyin consequence of the shafts 7c being tted loosely in the pulleys j, and the shafts 7c are also allowed to swing in consequence of passing through the yokes l. It will therefore be seen that the cutters are allowed to conform perfectly to the surface of the ground. -The iingers bX perform their usual ofticekserving as bearings for theglass as it is acted upon by the cutters, and a-lso serving to raise the lodged grass, so that it may be properly cut. In consequence of having the team attached to the curved part a of the draft-pole, it will be seen that they may, in case of turning, be made to draw or pull more or less laterally, thereby greatly facilitating the turning of the machine.

I do not claim broadly the employment or use of horizont-al rotary cutters, for they have been previously used; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The circular cutters q, attached to bars r at the lower ends of rotating shafts k, and hav# ingan independent rotating motion given them by means of the gearing s ax.

2. The combination of the cutters g, plates np, and shafts 7c, with or without the sharpeners dx or cx, arranged as shown, to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

RUSSELL WARNER.

Witnesses:

ASA KEYEs, IsAAo HINEs. 

